Non-Shans propose autonomous homelands

No.07 - 6/2007
18 June 2007
Politics
 
Non-Shans propose autonomous homelands
 
A five-day gathering of activists from Shan State to discuss the first draft of Shan State charter last week has called for self-ruled homelands for the state's major ethnic groups.
 
The 11-15 June meeting, titled The Third Dissemination on Shan State Draft Constitution, held on the border opposite Chiangmai, proposed that a provision should be contained in the draft to grant self government status, apart from Shans, to Akha, Danu, Intha, Kachin, Kayan, Kokang, Lahu, Palaung, PaO and Wa.
 
^{Sao Seng Suk                            Hkun Okker                              Shirley Seng}
The first draft, completed in early 2005, stipulates that the Shan State, that has adopted a federal system for its internal affairs, will be decentralized into "states" and "sub-states" or "autonomous regions".
 
The meeting also recommended that Shan State, legally an independent country since the 1947 union constitution was abolished by the military coup in 1962, should rejoin the Union.
 
In addition, the participants proposed 5 new guidelines to add to the two already agreed upon in 2000, when the Shan State Constitution Drafting Commission (SSCDC) was formed:

• Sovereign power derives from the people of Shan State

• Every national group in Shan State enjoy equal rights

• The new Shan State must be based on genuine federal structure (2000 guideline)

• The Shan State shall practise secularism

• It advocates a democratic and decentralized system of administration (2000 guideline)

• It shall practise a multi-party system

• It shall also guarantee minority rights

 
The first draft, authored by the SSCDC Chairman Sao Seng Suk, based on feedback from political and social organizations, has 46 constitutional principles such as Parliamentary system of government, Proportional Representation, Prominent role for social organizations and Respect for customary land laws. To which the meeting has proposed two more principles: Defense of Shan State and Designation of administrative areas.
 
The Dissemination was presided over by Shirley Seng, Vice Chairperson of the SSCDC and widow of General Zau Seng, founder of the Kachin Independence Organization who died in 1975. Hkun Okker, Chairman, PaO Peoples Liberation Organization (PPLO) and Executive Director of the Burma Lawyers Council (BLC), acted as the resource person throughout the meeting.
 
The state constitution process is part of the Opposition's efforts to form a genuine Federal Union of Burma. Its completed first draft was published last month.
 
Federated Shan States, as the present Shan State was known before 1948, had 34 princely states: 21 Shan, 7 Danu, 2 PaO, 1 Wa, 1 Kayan aka Padaung, 1 Palaung and 1 Kokang.